Chiba Curiosities

It was a rotten day with the kiddos. My mantra all day, except while they napped, was, "They are 3 and 1. They are 3 and 1." I just closed my eyes and said it over and over when Ryleigh threw her syrup-soaked waffle on the floor and while RJ decided he would only eat yogurt for dinner. Tonight's mantra is, "Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow will be better."

I wanted to blog about something a little more positive, so I thought I'd show you a couple pics from yesterday. This first picture is actually not mine--I didn't get a chance to take my own. But we saw this sign, so it counts, right?

Yup. It's a monkey crossing. I knew there were snow monkeys near Nagano, but I had no idea there were monkeys in Chiba. I guess in the summer, you can see them very near the roadways.

This next pic is mine. (Obvious, huh, since Jip is in it?). We paid a highway toll using a machine. While this isn't uncommon in the States (Garden State Parkway in New Jersey comes to mind), it is unusual in a country where we have observed that they like everyone to have a job. We have observed 12 guys who help you find a parking spot in the near-empty garage at the zoo and guys hired by the local hardware store to make sure you see the stoplight is red (I'm not joking). So, it was wild to us that they didn't have human toll collectors!

There are a few more family-friendly places in Chiba to see if we so choose. We'll have to see what other curiosities those trips bring.